Chapter 58 Super Web Series Plan

It can be seen that Leshi.com really values ​​Meng Bai. Less than a week after he submitted the planning proposal and setting set of the "Green Ivy Series", Liu Jun told him that the board of directors had approved it.

"Mr. Meng, you don't know, when I told them your plan, the people at the website and the strategy department thought I was crazy, saying that it was the first time they heard that a web drama could be a 'series universe'. Those who opposed it looked like they wanted to send me away." On the phone, Liu Jun told Meng Bai about the hardships he had gone through to get this series approved.

"Really?" Meng Bai flattered enthusiastically, "Then it seems that we have to thank Mr. Liu for his righteous words, otherwise I think it would be difficult for this project to be approved so quickly. So, I will treat you tonight, and you can go to press after dinner to relieve your fatigue."

"Hey, Mr. Meng, you are too polite. This is a mutually beneficial thing. I am responsible for the production of the website's entertainment content. The better your performance, the better my life will be." Liu Jun said a few polite words, and then set a time for the evening with Meng Bai.

After the polite talk, Liu Jun instructed Meng Bai again, "Although the board of directors has approved your series, there are also requirements. The website will set a benchmark data indicator at that time. Only when the performance of the previous drama meets this minimum standard will it continue to cooperate with the next drama. Of course, we can negotiate this specific standard again."

"Okay, this condition is fair." Meng Bai said.

He had never thought that Leshi.com would agree to all his requirements without reservation, and he had also anticipated some of the other party's conditions. The current method is relatively in line with the common interests of both parties.

However, Meng Bai immediately said, "Mr. Liu, I would like to add one more condition. If Leshi.com does not perform the subsequent contract due to unilateral reasons, then Arc Light Films will take back the copyright of all works in the series."

"This..." Liu Jun said in surprise, "Why, Brother Meng, are you still worried that Leshi.com will go back on its word?"

"No, I still trust Leshi." Meng Bai said, "But you also know that Arc Light Films is just a small 'shell company', so I always have to leave a way out for myself."

Liu Jun pondered for a moment and said, "What you said makes sense. Let's discuss it again. It shouldn't be a big problem."

"Okay, Brother Liu, please." Meng Bai said, "Then see you tonight."

"Okay."

——

After the planning of the "Green Ivy Series" was approved, Meng Bai quickly came up with the script for the first work in this series, "Psychological Crime".

Compared with Soul Ferry, in addition to the different subject matter, Crime of the Mind will have comprehensive improvements in terms of plot content, scene size, crew size, number of actors, and production accuracy.

Along with this, the investment budget will increase significantly.

"Twenty-five million. To achieve the quality of the 'benchmark TV series' you mentioned, at least a budget of twenty-five million is needed."

In the office of Arclight Film and Television, Wu Bai looked at the script plan in his hand and gave Meng Bai an estimated number.

Although it was a "half-way team formation", Wu Bai and Meng Bai cooperated very well during the filming of Soul Ferry, and the final film effect also proved the level of this middle-aged director.

Based on the principle of "familiarity rather than newness", Meng Bai still chose Wu Bai as the director of Crime of the Mind this time.

And then again, this big brother, like Meng Bai, originally shot crime themes, and now he can be regarded as returning to his original business.

Wu Bai did not hesitate to receive the invitation, and decisively agreed to Meng Bai after reading the script. Then, he received Meng Bai's first request, that the quality of this drama should be in accordance with the standards of TV dramas.

"Budget is not a problem." Meng Bai said, "This time Leshi.com has made a big investment, and the budget funds have been allocated to this number."

As he said that, he made a "two" gesture.

"Twenty million?" Wu Bai guessed in confusion.

"Two million."

"..." Wu Bai looked at Meng Bai speechlessly, with an expression of "Are you kidding me?"

"Two million per episode." Meng Bai added.

Wu Bai's eyes suddenly widened. Two million per episode, according to the volume of the script of twenty-four episodes, that is 48 million!

"Is Leshi.com crazy?" Wu Bai blurted out.

No wonder he was shocked. No one could imagine why they spent nearly 50 million to shoot a web drama.

Meng Bai guessed that he would have this reaction, and smiled and said, "It's hard to say whether it's crazy or not, but Leshi.com is so generous, mainly for the 'super web drama plan' they recently proposed."

"Super web drama?" Wu Bai was puzzled.

"You can understand it as a high-quality web series with big investment and high standards, which is comparable to TV series." Meng Bai explained.

Wu Bai was still puzzled: "But what is the benefit of doing this?"

"Of course it's for the stock price." Meng Bai said bluntly.

As a well-known "PPT God of War" and "Cross-track Competition King", Boss Jia has always emphasized a concept to Leshi.com's investors, called "Internet Smart Entertainment Ecological Chain".

The general meaning is that Leshi.com wants to build a complete "entertainment industry" closed loop from content incubation, platform dissemination, network promotion to smart terminals.

Leshi.com has always been developing along Boss Jia's route, including websites, sports programs, film companies, smart TVs... There are even rumors that Leshi wants to make mobile phones and electric cars in the future.

Anyway, Boss Jia has to come up with a whole PPT for anything related to Internet entertainment, and shout a few words with investors in the primary and secondary markets.

In the past, Leshi.com has always been at a disadvantage in content incubation. Most of the platform content is similar to several other companies, and is achieved by "buying, buying, buying".

However, with the gradual increase of copyright awareness among the domestic public and the improvement of relevant national laws and regulations, the prices of various IP copyrights have also risen in the past two years. When these costs are reflected in Leshi's financial reports, it will reduce corporate profits.

In addition, there is another point, that is, they are all bought, so what is the difference between Leshi.com and other video websites? If you really want to talk about wealth, Penguin Video and Youku are much richer than Leshi.

Until Meng Bai's "Soul Ferry" was launched, Leshi finally had a content incubation case that could be shown off. And during the broadcast period before and after the Spring Festival, Leshi's stock price also rose sharply with the popularity of "Pendulum".

The stock market, especially the secondary market, often believes in rumors. No matter whether a stock rises or falls, there will always be a reason for you "after the fact".

Therefore, no matter how much "Soul Ferry" helped Leshi.com's stock price rise, investors believed this statement anyway.

This is exactly what Boss Jia wants. Since you like this reason, I will give you more.

It happened that Meng Bai proposed the idea of ​​the "Green Ivy Series" at this time, so after a discussion with Leshi.com, he proposed the plan of this "super web drama".

The first work of the plan is Meng Bai's new drama "Psychological Crime".

The investment of nearly 50 million yuan is indeed worthy of the title of "super web drama".

Of course, this money has a lot of "water", and it will not be invested in the production of the series.

For example, the operating expenses of Leshi.com, the publicity and distribution expenses of the platform, the publicity and promotion expenses in the later stage, etc., will all be included.

To put it bluntly, Leshi.com is pouring money from one hand to the other, and blowing a cowhide to coax the market. The real production funds that can be counted are only about 30 million.

In fact, the investment scale of 30 million is not small for a web drama, and this money is not all paid by Leshi.com itself.

Meng Bai's Arc Light Film and Television invested 5 million-not much money, but it finally got the status of an investor.

Next is Leshi.com and Leshi Pictures, which took a total of about 15 million.

The remaining shares were divided among two other financial companies that specialize in film and television venture capital.

In the film and television industry, unless it is a small investment like the previous "Soul Ferry", any project that can be considered large-scale usually introduces multiple investors.

This is done to share risks and to avoid eating alone.

In this industry, those who eat alone will not go far.

Thanks to the big boss "天下虽大" for the reward!

(End of this chapter)